NY TIMES ALERT Congresswoman Giffords shot in the head in Tucson!

[Selene]

Jeffrey:

Profess was used satirically.

I am an originalist when it comes to journalism. A journalist reports. A editorial opinion writer declares that he is giving a point of view and not the hard news.

Walter Lippman viewed the journalist as an intermediary between the public and the event, or person. that created what was to be distilled and presented to the public.

A person who is hired to present opinion or commentary are called commentators, opinion makers or editorialists.

This is the dichotomy that I perceive. If you have a different definition of a journalist, I am open to considering modifying my definition for the purpose of discussion.

Adam

A journalist is a person who writes (or otherwise communicates) periodically about new events and ideas. (The term is also commonly extended to include many if not all the people who provide support services to the writers and other communicators - editors, in particular, but sometimes even typesetters, printers, and compositors, as well as radio, TV and Internet producers.) An editorial writer is a journalist. So is an opinion writer. (In the business, there is no such thing as an "editorial opinion writer.") A sportswriter is a journalist. Miss Manners is a journalist. A news photographer is a journalist. A person who writes about cooking for a daily newspaper is a journalist. Walter Lippmann was a journalist, though he devoted his career mainly to editorial and opinion writing. To say that someone is not a journalist but a commentator is like saying that Loren Estleman is not an author but a detective novelist, or that John Williams is not a musician but a guitarist.

The word "journalist" is often used interchangeably with the phrase "hard news reporter" by people who know nothing about journalism, but their usage flies in the face of several hundred years of usage in our language. You find Edgar Allan Poe in the early 19th Century talking about people who write for and edit magazines (including literary magazines) as journalists - a usage identical to the one employed half a century and more earlier by Samuel Johnson. You find Cyril Connolly in the early 20th Century using the term "journalism" to describe book reviewing. You find Edmund Wilson describing himself around the same time as essentially a journalist. And what is someone who adopts your usage to make of what is conventionally called "advocacy journalism" - that is, hard news reporting that openly looks at current issues and events from a particular ideological stance? Does the phrase "advocacy journalism" make no sense to you? Does it make your head swim? Does it seem a contradiction in terms? If so, you don't understand the concept "journalism."

Of course, that needn't stop you from knowing exactly what is defective about the performance of everyone who practices journalism. You don't know what it is, but you know exactly how it should be done.

JR

Jeffrey:

Nothing you have written troubles me at all. My use of the word journalist was in the context of the hard reporting of a particular event. To wit: the attempted assassination of a sitting Congresswoman.

I will be more precise when I use that word next time.

Seems like a simple solution to me.

Thanks.

Adam

[kiaer.ts]

I still want to know what Phil's connection is to all this.

[Brant Gaede]

Adam, we have "open carry" in Tucson.

--Brant

Same here in Las Vegas but I have never seen anyone, save law enforcement, with a weapon at his side.

The basic problem is it's not so culturally accepted to be generally valuable. I favor concealed carry if practicable so the wishy washy don't get freaked out. In any case, no one with a gun could have prevented that first shot at Giffords. Security might have grabbed the guy first, but there was no security. He managed to shoot 20 people. No one had a gun to stop that. He was finally wrestled to the ground trying to reload. If you are a bodyguard the firearm is a secondary weapon. You'll not likely be using it except reactively to shots already fired. The Secret Service around the President don't have their hands on their guns. It would be much more dangerous for the President if they did. There is another problem with carrying a gun: the police will find it easier to shoot you down if you twitch the wrong way--or they do. And, no, they are not likely to go to prison for murdering you. Reverse those circumstances and you, the civilian, are toast--burnt toast. Something like that recently happened in Las Vegas.

--Brant

calling a cop for anything is only the last thing you want to do, but if you have a fire call 911 right away

[caroljane]

Adam, we have "open carry" in Tucson.

--Brant

Same here in Las Vegas but I have never seen anyone, save law enforcement, with a weapon at his side.

The basic problem is it's not so culturally accepted to be generally valuable. I favor concealed carry if practicable so the wishy washy don't get freaked out. In any case, no one with a gun could have prevented that first shot at Giffords. Security might have grabbed the guy first, but there was no security. He managed to shoot 20 people. No one had a gun to stop that. He was finally wrestled to the ground trying to reload. If you

are a bodyguard the firearm is a secondary weapon. You'll not likely be using it except reactively to shots already fired. The Secret Service around the President don't have their hands on their guns. It would be much more dangerous for the President if they did. There is another problem with carrying a gun: the police will find it easier to shoot you down if you twitch the wrong way--or they do. And, no, they are not likely to go to prison for murdering you. Reverse those circumstances and you, the civilian, are toast--burnt toast. Something like that recently happened in Las Vegas.

--Brant

calling a cop for anything is only the last thing you want to do, but if you have a fire call 911 right away

Or sometimes the cops shoot each other, as in Baltimore yesterday.

Totally on point.

The right to bear arms is about as useful to the enhancement of life and liberty in 2011 as the right to drive through red lights. Which rational adults never do unless the road is clear, which is why there are never any accidents.

The

[Selene]

Posted at 4:03 PM ET, 01/ 9/2011

Jared Loughner's behavior recorded by college classmate in e-mails

By David A. Fahrenthold In early June, Lynda Sorenson, 52, had gone back to community college in Tucson in hopes of getting back on the job market. One of her classes was a basic algebra class--and one of her classmates was Jared Loughner, now identified by authorities as the man who killed six people and critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in a shooting rampage Saturday. Sorenson's e-mails to friends from last summer, provided to the Washington Post, reveal her growing alarm at Loughner's strange and disruptive behavior in class.

From June 1, the first day of class:

"One day down and nineteen to go. We do have one student in the class who was disruptive today, I'm not certain yet if he was on drugs (as one person surmised) or disturbed. He scares me a bit. The teacher tried to throw him out and he refused to go, so I talked to the teacher afterward. Hopefully he will be out of class very soon, and not come back with an automatic weapon."

From June 10:

"As for me, Thursday means the end to week two of algebra class. It seems to be going by quickly, but then I do have three weeks to go so we'll see how I feel by then. Class isn't dull as we have a seriously disturbed student in the class, and they are trying to figure out how to get rid of him before he does something bad, but on the other hand, until he does something bad, you can't do anything about him. Needless to say, I sit by

the door."

From June 14:

"We have a mentally unstable person in the class that scares the living crap out of me. He is one of those whose picture you see on the news, after he has come into class with an automatic weapon. Everyone interviewed would say, Yeah, he was in my math class and he was really weird. I sit by the door with my purse handy. If you see it on the news one night, know that I got out fast..."

The class's instructor, Ben McGahee, said in an interview Sunday that Loughner had been removed from class in its third or fourth week, because of repeated disruptions."

Folks:

This piece of hard news journalism indicates that the shooter was beginning to act out.

Still nothing on his parents? Anyone read anything on them?

Adam

[algernonsidney]

You know, I am not an Objectivist. I disagree with many Objectivist doctrines, but I admire Objectivists when they use reason to the best of their abilities and understanding and when they are curious and intelligent . . .

I don't know if you call yourself an Objectivist. But I think you are morally depraved.

I wish you a happy life, but I doubt anyone as stupid and hateful as you could be happy, unless you are also mentally handicapped and exist in a twilight zone of blissful fuckheadedness.

You certainly could have fooled me. I have never met you and wouldn't know you from Adam. Yet, here you are making a bunch of judgments about me even though you know nothing about me. That's pretty typical behavior for anyone who calls himself an Objectivist.

[Brant Gaede]

You know, I am not an Objectivist. I disagree with many Objectivist doctrines, but I admire Objectivists when they use reason to the best of their abilities and understanding and when they are curious and intelligent . . .

I don't know if you call yourself an Objectivist. But I think you are morally depraved.

I wish you a happy life, but I doubt anyone as stupid and hateful as you could be happy, unless you are also mentally handicapped and exist in a twilight zone of blissful fuckheadedness.

You certainly could have fooled me. I have never met you and wouldn't know you from Adam. Yet, here you are making a bunch of judgments about me even though you know nothing about me. That's pretty typical behavior for anyone who calls himself an Objectivist.

I for one don't think you are morally depraved. You simply don't seem to be psychologically trapped in the American nationalist matrix, something I'm having a hard time escaping from.

--Brant

[william.scherk]

You know, I am not an Objectivist. I disagree with many Objectivist doctrines, but I admire Objectivists when they use reason to the best of their abilities and understanding and when they are curious and intelligent . . .

I don't know if you call yourself an Objectivist. But I think you are morally depraved.

I wish you a happy life, but I doubt anyone as stupid and hateful as you could be happy, unless you are also mentally handicapped and exist in a twilight zone of blissful fuckheadedness.

You certainly could have fooled me. I have never met you and wouldn't know you from Adam. Yet, here you are making a bunch of judgments about me even though you know nothing about me. That's pretty typical behavior for anyone who calls himself an Objectivist.

You may have missed my subsequent post and this:

I am sure Chris regrets sounding so heartless, and wishes he had kept his mouth shut on this thread. He will also probably come back and apologize for his mistakes and I will apologize for calling him morally depraved . . .

[kiaer.ts]

Posted at 4:03 PM ET, 01/ 9/2011

Jared Loughner's behavior recorded by college classmate in e-mails

By David A. Fahrenthold In early June, Lynda Sorenson, 52, had gone back to community college in Tucson in hopes of getting back on the job market. One of her classes was a basic algebra class--and one of her classmates was Jared Loughner, now identified by authorities as the man who killed six people and critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in a shooting rampage Saturday. Sorenson's e-mails to friends from last summer, provided to the Washington Post, reveal her growing alarm at Loughner's strange and disruptive behavior in class.

From June 1, the first day of class:

"One day down and nineteen to go. We do have one student in the class who was disruptive today, I'm not certain yet if he was on drugs (as one person surmised) or disturbed. He scares me a bit. The teacher tried to throw him out and he refused to go, so I talked to the teacher afterward. Hopefully he will be out of class very soon, and not come back with an automatic weapon."

From June 10:

"As for me, Thursday means the end to week two of algebra class. It seems to be going by quickly, but then I do have three weeks to go so we'll see how I feel by then. Class isn't dull as we have a seriously disturbed student in the class, and they are trying to figure out how to get rid of him before he does something bad, but on the other hand, until he does something bad, you can't do anything about him. Needless to say, I sit by

the door."

From June 14:

"We have a mentally unstable person in the class that scares the living crap out of me. He is one of those whose picture you see on the news, after he has come into class with an automatic weapon. Everyone interviewed would say, Yeah, he was in my math class and he was really weird. I sit by the door with my purse handy. If you see it on the news one night, know that I got out fast..."

The class's instructor, Ben McGahee, said in an interview Sunday that Loughner had been removed from class in its third or fourth week, because of repeated disruptions."

Folks:

This piece of hard news journalism indicates that the shooter was beginning to act out.

Still nothing on his parents? Anyone read anything on them?

Adam

Sounds like John David Stutts all over again.

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[sjw]

Ayn Rand connected to shooter:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/splc-blames-ayn-rand-david-icke-and-others-for-arizona-shooting.html

Potok is often involved in dishonest smears of people who advocate limited government and moral accountability of government.

Shayne

[Robert Campbell]

Even though Jared Loughner was living with his parents, according to news reports I've read, and therefore his parents' house has been roped off and searched by the FBI, I've yet to see either parent referred to by name in any story or described in any other fashion.

The instructor in Loughner's summer math class (same class referred to in those emails) was interviewed by Shepherd Smith tonight. He said Loughner was so scary that he spent as little time as possible writing on the board with his back turned while Loughner was in class. Some of Loughner's test answers were completely nonsensical.

We the Living was on Loughner's list of favorite books. Most commentators actually haven't mentioned it. I dunno, maybe Harper Lee is guilty of posthumous incitement to violence because To Kill a Mockingbird was also on the list. I haven't noticed anyone blaming Jonathan Swift, for that matter.

Despite all kinds of insinuations and intimations that political turmoil over immigration had something to do with motivating Loughner, I've yet to see a single anti-Mexican or anti-immigrant remark attributed to him.

Robert Campbell

[Brant Gaede]

Even though Jared Loughner was living with his parents, according to news reports I've read, and therefore his parents' house has been roped off and searched by the FBI, I've yet to see either parent referred to by name in any story or described in any other fashion.

The instructor in Loughner's summer math class (same class referred to in those emails) was interviewed by Shepherd Smith tonight. He said Loughner was so scary that he spent as little time as possible writing on the board with his back turned while Loughner was in class. Some of Loughner's test answers were completely nonsensical.

We the Living was on Loughner's list of favorite books. Most commentators actually haven't mentioned it. I dunno, maybe Harper Lee is guilty of posthumous incitement to violence because To Kill a Mockingbird was also on the list. I haven't noticed anyone blaming Jonathan Swift, for that matter.

Despite all kinds of insinuations and intimations that political turmoil over immigration had something to do with motivating Loughner, I've yet to see a single anti-Mexican or anti-immigrant remark attributed to him.

Robert Campbell

It would seem his father is named "Randy L." (Public real estate record.) Since there is not mention of a woman's name on the property record, the strong implication is one of divorce and separation. Nice neighborhood, but below average Tucson home price.

--Brant

Edited January 10, 2011 by Brant Gaede

[sjw]

Reason Magazine's perspective: http://reason.com/blog/2011/01/09/violence-government-violence-a

Shayne

[Selene]

neighbors and former classmates of Jared Loughner described the family as loners who rarely spoke to anyone. Neighbor Ron Johnson noted, "You try to say something, they'd just ignore you and turn around and walk back into the house." Most of the neighbors interviews by The Washington Post agreed that Jared Loughner's parents were loners and rarely interacted with their neighbors. Most had been ignored by a member of the Loughner family on at least one occasion.

Loughner, who lives with his mother in a modest north Tucson subdivision, had no significant police record and had been cited once on a minor drug charge that was later dismissed, court records show.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/09/20110109jared-lee-loughner-gabrielle-giffords-arizona-shooting.html#ixzz1AbH2YlcN

[pippi]

neighbors and former classmates of Jared Loughner described the family as loners who rarely spoke to anyone. Neighbor Ron Johnson noted, "You try to say something, they'd just ignore you and turn around and walk back into the house."

if you see something say something?

so if someone doesnt greet you with a cup of coffee and some homemade cookies or a smile they are a crazed shooter?

nice-put a fork in the USA it's done

Edited January 10, 2011 by pippi

[sjw]

You've got to think that something is wrong with his parents just given how nutty he is. I mean, either something organic was wrong with his brain (which doesn't seem to be the case), or some seriously deranged things happened to him as he was growing up.

Shayne

[Robert Campbell]

Good piece by Jack Shafer:

http://www.slate.com/id/2280616/

and a pretty good one by Byron York:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/01/journalists-urged-caution-after-ft-hood-now-race-blame-palin-afte

Robert Campbell

[Brant Gaede]

From what I've read about his college behavior, he might be a meth-head. If so, he won't get "right" for at least a week.

--Brant

[Selene]

Good piece by Jack Shafer:

http://www.slate.com/id/2280616/

and a pretty good one by Byron York:

http://washingtonexa...lame-palin-afte

Robert Campbell

Thank you Robert:

Excellent article by Shafer:

"For as long as I've been alive, crosshairs and bull's-eyes have been an accepted part of the graphical lexicon when it comes to political debates. Such "inflammatory" words as targeting, attacking, destroying, blasting, crushing, burying, knee-capping, and others have similarly guided political thought and action. Not once have the use of these images or words tempted me or anybody else I know to kill. I've listened to, read—and even written!—vicious attacks on government without reaching for my gun. I've even gotten angry, for goodness' sake, without coming close to assassinating a politician or a judge."

The map appears on this page of the Democratic Leadership Committee website (dated 2004 during the Bush years). I guess we could argue over whether the DLC counts as "senior party officials" but they're certainly as much a part of the party as Palin who, after all, currently holds no elected office.

Also, as I mentioned in a prior post, Major Hassan has vanished from the public eye. Additionally, the leap to mute his horrific act by "journalists" is the obverse of the feeding frenzy by the alleged "journalists" that are loose today.

Adam

Post scrip: I use the word "journalist" in the above post to mean a current group of media members who are biased and agenda driven. A group who will lie, suppress the truth and manipulate the "facts" to advance their agenda.

[Selene]

Robert:

Can you believe this Congressman's new proposed legislation!!!!

Rep. Brady to Introduce Bill to Ban Crosshair Images

John on January 9, 2011 at 4:19 pm

From the NY Times (ht: Allahpundit via Twitter):

Representative Bob Brady of Pennsylvania told The Caucus he plans to introduce a bill that would ban symbols like that now-infamous campaign crosshair map.

“You can’t threaten the president with a bullseye or a crosshair,” Mr. Brady, a Democrat, said, and his measure would make it a crime to do so to a member of Congress or federal employee, as well.

Asked if he believed the map incited the gunman in Tucson, he replied, “I don’t know what’s in that nut’s head. I would rather be safe than sorry.”

This is insanity. Complete insanity. We are now introducing legislation against a 9 month old Facebook image which was a) essentially indistinguishable from similar Democratic “targeting” maps and B) had no connection whatsoever to the incident that prompted the outrage. Someone explain to me how this is not a political move designed to further solidify the bogus connection between Sarah Palin and this shooting.

I swear this is beginning to feel like something out of 1984 or Atlas Shrugged. The professional left is so desperate to blame a shooting by a deranged liberal on the right that any pretense of rationality is out the window. There have been some blessed exceptions, sane voices like Ezra Klein today, some at the Atlantic yesterday, but they are being outshouted by nuts like Krugman, Kos, Yglesias and Jane Fonda.

[pippi]

I have not seen one article that said exactly what this piece of human garbage was actually doing to disrupt his classes at his community college. But it sure seems he should have been removed from school asap and never allowed back-why was he? My guess is someone or some 'board' was afraid of getting sued for singling him out. And their fear would be grounded.

I am already tired of seeing this pasty faced piece of shit everywhere-I dont care about his motivation, he should never have been allowed to function among normal people.

[caroljane]

I have not seen one article that said exactly what this piece of human garbage was actually doing to disrupt his classes at his community college. But it sure seems he should have been removed from school asap and never allowed back-why was he? My guess is someone or some 'board' was afraid of getting sued for singling him out. And their fear would be grounded.

I am already tired of seeing this pasty faced piece of shit everywhere-I dont care about his motivation, he should never have been allowed to function among normal people.

Until proven otherwise, this piece of human garbage has the inalienable right to bear a semiautomatic weapon. This crucial symbol of your liberty will last forever while Christina Green age 9, born on 9/11, crumbles into dust.

[kiaer.ts]

I have not seen one article that said exactly what this piece of human garbage was actually doing to disrupt his classes at his community college. But it sure seems he should have been removed from school asap and never allowed back-why was he? My guess is someone or some 'board' was afraid of getting sued for singling him out. And their fear would be grounded.

I am already tired of seeing this pasty faced piece of shit everywhere-I dont care about his motivation, he should never have been allowed to function among normal people.

Until proven otherwise, this piece of human garbage has the inalienable right to bear a semiautomatic weapon. This crucial symbol of your liberty will last forever while Christina Green age 9, born on 9/11, crumbles into dust.

Fuck you, layman dunce. My rights are not constrained by the evil or stupidity of others.

[Brant Gaede]

I have not seen one article that said exactly what this piece of human garbage was actually doing to disrupt his classes at his community college. But it sure seems he should have been removed from school asap and never allowed back-why was he? My guess is someone or some 'board' was afraid of getting sued for singling him out. And their fear would be grounded.

I am already tired of seeing this pasty faced piece of shit everywhere-I dont care about his motivation, he should never have been allowed to function among normal people.

Until proven otherwise, this piece of human garbage has the inalienable right to bear a semiautomatic weapon. This crucial symbol of your liberty will last forever while Christina Green age 9, born on 9/11, crumbles into dust.

Possessing a weapon does not require the right to possess it. The ability to kill someone does not give one the right to be a murderer. If this guy had brandished his weapon a hundred feet away from Giffords and advanced to her screaming he was going to kill her, someone else would have the right to shoot him down in self-defense with his "inalienable right to bear [his own] semiautomatic weapon."

--Brant

[sjw]